HC judge stays own transfer order by CJI

A judge of the Madras High Court took on Chief Justice of India by staying an order by the latter transferring him to Calcutta High Court. Justice C S Karnan , who is known for raking up one controversy or the other, said in a suo moto order that “Your Lordship’s proposal for my transfer to the Calcutta High Court, citing better administration, has already been answered on an initial xerox copy of the present hard copy sent by Your Lordship. Your order goes against the spirit of a judgement given by a nine-judge constitutional bench headed by Justice Ratnavel Pandian in 1993, Justice Karnan stated in his observation.

Justice Karnan requested the CJI to submit a written statement on the issue through his subordinates by April 29. He also requested the CJI “not to interfere” with his jurisdiction.

Justice Karnan sent a copy of the judicial order to the President, Prime Minister, Union Law Minister and to other political leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Ram Vilas Paswan and Mayawati, as well as National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.